White Sox vs Rockies Prediction - MLB Picks 8/18/23

Colorado Rockies (46-75) vs Chicago White Sox (48-73)

Game Info: Friday, August 18, 2023 at 8:40 pm (Coors Field)

Peter Lambert (2-4) (5.46) vs Michael Kopech (5-10) (4.58)

Betting Odds: Colorado Rockies +120 / Chicago White Sox -130 --- Over/Under: 12.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Chicago White Sox will head out to Denver to face the Colorado Rockies in interleague play this Thursday from Coors Field.

White Sox Preview & Projected Starter

Chicago enters at 48-73 after splitting games with the Cubs. The White Sox struck first in the Crosstown Classic, but they’d fall in the second leg, and they’ll attempt to get back into the win column this weekend. The Chicago offense is 4.72 scoring runs per game, while batting .235, with a .292 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 5.72 ERA, with a 1.21 WHIP.

Michael Kopech (5-10, 4.44 ERA, 116 Ks) will take the mound for Chicago. The fourth-year righty had another tough outing last week, allowing four runs in just 4.1 innings en route to a Sox loss. Kopech flamed out in the month of July, and after giving up three runs or more in four of his previous six starts, he may not fare well in the Denver altitude here.

White Sox Player Trends & Props

• Luis Robert provided a homer Chicago fans won’t forget in the game one win over the Cubs, and he leads the club in hits (119), home runs (32), and RBI (66).

• Andrew Vaughn had recorded a hit in six of the last ten games, and he’s posting splits of .251/15/62

• Eloy Jiménez has recorded a hit in six of the previous eight games, and he’s tallied fourteen homers and 50 RBI for the season, while leading the Sox in batting (.273).

• Andrew Benintendi doubled in both games at Wrigley, and he’s batting .271 for the season.

• Yoán Moncada has produced a run in four of the last six games.

Rockies Preview & Projected Starter

Colorado moved to 46-75 after dropping two of three to Arizona. The Rockies let the last two games slip away from them in the latter stages, and they’ll look for different results here in interleague play. The Colorado offense is scoring 4.5 runs per game, while batting .256, with a .317 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.70 ERA, with a 1.43 WHIP.

Peter Lambert (2-4, 5.57 ERA, 51 Ks) will get the call for Colorado. The third-year pitcher held his own in Los Angeles last time out, pitching a quality start (6 IP, 3 ER), but he earned the loss as the Dodgers would go on to pull away with the victory. Lambert’s August has gotten off to a rough start, and after dropping three straight outings, he’ll attempt to turn things around here at home.

Rockies Player Trends & Props

• Ryan McMahon went yard in the game loss to the DBacks, and he leads Colorado in hits (108), home runs (20), and RBI (62).

• Elias Diaz failed to record a hit in the Arizona series, he’s still posting a solid line behind the plate of .259/11/51.

• Ezequiel Tovar had three hits in two of three matchups with the Diamondbacks, and after collecting a hit in eight of the last ten games, he leads the Rockies in batting (.262), with thirteen homers and 53 runs batted in.

Corey’s Free Pick

Colorado’s inability to close games may get them in trouble here, as Chicago will come into Coors with their bats swinging well. Neither starting pitcher has shown much resistance this season, so this could wind up being an offensive-minded contest, and I like testing the hot bats of the White Sox to strike first this weekend. The massive total may be approached in this one, but I like rolling with Chicago to take game one of this interleague series.